Urban Sketchers at GPO

Good to see that artists have no qualms of sitting anywhere when they want to capture something interesting.

I am talking about the Pune Urban Sketchers who had a session at the Pune General Post Office.

This artist (Harshad) sat outside the premises but the red gate gave a good contrast to what he wanted to capture.

This is one of those old letter boxes from the British era which can be seen in front of almost all GPOs in India. I remember there was a board next to it saying that all letters posted in this box will have a "special cancellation stamp" on it. Wonder why they removed that sign.

Walking around the Post Office brought back memories, like this philatelic bureau from where I used to buy first day covers about five decades ago. (at that time it was situated on the left side of the entrance)

And these segregated boxes for Airmail / Local and rest of India. There was a time when the letters were delivered on the same day (if it was local) provided you post before the first collection at 7.30 am.

The age-old method of making gum by the Post Office as a "public service" is still being carried on. 

At the rear of the post office I noticed this wrought iron spiral staircase which still stands, but not in use.

Deepali has captured this well with her minimalistic but effective drawing.

Even though it was a Sunday, the sorting activity was in full swing and somebody did sketch them in action.

Sitting in the sunlight and creating a picture has its own advantages. (creativity while soaking in vitamin D)

One young man decided to capture the steeple of the 160 year old St Paul's church which was just across the road.

Participants were from all age groups and that is one way to discover the hidden talent in the young ones.

I like the improvisation done on this tripod whereby a board is attached to hold all the required material while painting, including a  packet of biscuit :-)

I was also fascinated by the medium of creating a picture. It may be a variety of colours with the modern pen or it may be charcoal.

Many in Pune are not aware of the existence of the Zero stone which is dug right in front of the GPO. (Pune was earlier called Poona)

The mandatory group photo at the end of the session. I was not very happy with this group photo as some of them were in the shade and some were directly under the sunlight (which is against the "rules" of clicking a group photo) But then I did not try to rearrange them as I knew this was a group who would be happy in creating a picture than being "in the picture" Good to see all of them smiling. 

Captured most of them in action and compiled it into a 12 minute video. All this activity reminded me of the Urban Sketchers I captured four years ago at the Botanical Survey of India. Something big is coming up for the Urban Sketchers in the first week of December. These three slides below will give you a better idea of the event. 

Visual treat

Yes, this is going to be a visual treat for those who like to drink.

Had been to this liquor store in Colorado, with my friends. This is supposed to be the largest liquor store in Colorado and has been there for almost half a decade.

While my friends were picking up their bottles, I took a stroll around the store. I was fascinated by the colourful labels that some of the bottles had.   

Designing a label (especially for a bottle) requires ingenuity.  For example this one of Skinny Girl has four varieties, and the one which says “Island Coconut” makes it look like as if half a coconut is inside the bottle.

The shape and the size of the bottle too have to match the name, when you compare this with the Livingston.

This Momo Kawa reminded me of my school days when I used to come home with ink sprays on my uniform almost everyday to the exasperation of my mother.

The collection of bottles here is from all over the world. Like the Vieux Telegraphe  which is from France

The label of Alice White makes it obvious that it is from Australia

More from Australia

I like this simple sketch and the colour scheme used for these Red Wine bottles (they are from north eastern Spain)

Cono Sur from Chile – the bicycle represents their spirit of innovation, passion, commitment and respect for environment.

Maybe M F Hussein could have thrown some light about the drawing on the label of Lagar.  

Like this simple design of the Wine from Germany (Riesling) Wonder what that conch is doing at the top. 

This bottle has a painting by the famous artist Gaby Hahn. 

This Pinot Grigio is made from grapes hand selected from some of the best sites along the Italian border in Slovenia. 

A Chianti wine is produced in the Chianti region in central Tuscany. 

The Ladoucette family have been producing wines for over 600 years in their 165 hectare estate of Chateau di Nozet in Pouilly (France) 

What a unique way to name a brand. Seven Daughters is a blend of seven carefully chosen grape varieties, crafted together into a sophisticated yet fun wine. 

Flame Thrower will attract any one’s attention. Schnapps is a term that refers to any kind of strong alcoholic beverage. The English “schnapps” is derived from the German Schnaps. 

Liqueurs are a class apart. What a way to seal a bottle. Reminds me of the good old Post Office and their seal and the sealing wax. 

This Hazelnut Liqueur has a story. According to legend Frangelico lived three centuries ago in a hilly area bound by the river Po. He lived as a hermit and through his love of nature and knowledge of its secrets, created unique recipes for liqueurs. The most precious one of all was one of liqueur made from wild hazelnuts with infusions of berries and flowers to enrich the flavour.

Well, the shape of the bottle looks convincing which includes the Cincture around the waist. (Brother Juniper?)

Another one from Ireland, Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream Liqueur.

Like this container of Corn Whisky 

Are these mugs for the Moscow Mule? I don’t know but these copper mugs are a familiar sight in pubs. The christening of the Moscow Mule is an interesting story as per Wikipedia 

This may look like some fancy stuff but these Vinocopia Wines has developed a barrel in which you can store your wine. So when guests arrive, you can fill their glass from a tap. Ever wondered how the wine is stored in this wooden barrel?

OK, all this is coming from a teetotaler, so you may have to verify the authenticity of all what I said above.

Cheers J